help with cerwin-vega home sub/amp (1 Viewer)

[smg4589]

Ok here goes i have a Harmon-Kardon 4 ohm subwoofer. I bought a enclourse for it and then i bought a cerwin-vega plate amp. I have a home theather system in which i use a powered sub, four speakers and a reciever. I used a splitter from the reciever to send one signal to the one sub and the other signal to the cerwin-vega amp. The plate amp is by itself and is just above the reciever. I run about a 15 foot speaker wire to the subwoofer. And i have a power chord that connects into the amp and into the wall.

So here is the problem:
The sub makes a popping noise and when the system is off the sub sometimes turns on and makes the popping/thundering noises.

Possible reasons i think:
Here is a pic of the amp Notice how the power chord input only has two prongs instead of three. My chord has three but still fits into the slot. Another possible thing is that i think the power chord input doesnt fit as tight as it should be. It kinda jiggles around when i move it and makes the popping noise sometimes. Could i have gotten the wrong size chord?
Also the way i connected it is kinda week in that i took the speaker wires from the plate amp and cut them off and just did a twist job to connect it to the long speaker wire.

Any info would be great...

 

[Robert_J]

I sometimes get a thunderous humming/popping when one of my cats bumps my cheap sub cable between the wall and my Dayton amp. Your power cable has nothing to do with this. If it was designed to have a ground plug then one would have been included on the amp. Also, it is a BASH amp so it is made by the Canadian manufacturer Indigo. They are an OEM for some of the best sub manufacturers in the world.

Why haven't you mounted your amp? What kind of enclosure did you get? Ported (what's your Fb?) or sealed (what's your Fb and Qtc?)?

-Robert

 

[smg4589]

the enclourse i got is actually meant for a car. It is sealed but either way i dont see why this could be the reason for my problem.

The power chord did not come with the sub. I had to buy a new one for it.

When you mean cheap subwoofer cable is that the rca cable or the speaker wire.

I havent mounted the sub because first the enclourse is meant for a car and this would mean i would have to cut out some of the box and I am currently at college so i cant.

 

[Robert_J]

And by sub cable, I meant the RCA cable between the receiver and amp. Wiggle it and see if you can recreate the issue. If so, go to Wal-Mart and get another one. Not the $1.99 cheap one but a decent RCA cable. They carry Philips there. Not bad for about $10. If there is still a problem, it may be a loose solder joint on the amp where the RCA jack gones into the circuit board. But you are in college. There's bound to be an EE major with a soldering iron somewhere.

I asked about the box because I guessed that it was a car box. That usually is too small for a home theater. But in college you have to sometime sacrifice size.

-Robert

 

[smg4589]

ya i just tried out some of the stuff you said. I took my other "higher quality" rca cable and
put it in the LFE input...still made noise.
put it in the left input...still made noise.
put it in the right input...no noise.
put in "less quality" rca cable in right input and still all good.

Will i lose sound quality from putting it in just the right input?

I guess a part does need to soddered....

darn

well as i am writing this the problem comes back again so all is fair i guess now. darn i thought i had it:frowning:

 

[Robert_J]

The inputs are summed. That's why there's noise on both.

Unplug it from power and take a closer look at the inputs and circuit boards. It will be obvious if something is loose.

-Robert

 

[smg4589]

no nothing is loose that i can see/tell.

btw thanks for all the help so far

 

[smg4589]

anyone>?

 

[LanceJ]

Usually if you just use one input (in other words, one of the left/right inputs) on a subwoofer, its output level will be reduced (sound quality itself won't be affected). If so, just turn up the gain control on the sub to make up for it.